Lieberman influencing Israeli politics

The Middle East has never been the most tranquil place, but
recent events in Israel and the Palestinian territories have
created more turmoil than usual. Israel's Operation Cast Lead left
hundreds of Gazans dead and many more wounded. It also led to a lot
of psychological distress for at least 15 Israeli casualties and
civilian residents within the range of the Hamas rockets. With
unilateral, fragile ceasefires in place, things have been
relatively quiet since then. Also in this interceding time Israel
has held elections, whose outcome may change the direction of
Israeli policy.

Israel is a parliamentary system with 120 total seats in its
Knesset (Parliament). The prime minister is chosen by the
president, usually from the party with the greatest number of
seats. The election resulted in 28 seats for Kadima, the centrist
party headed by current Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, 27 seats for
the hawkish Likud party headed by former Prime Minister Binyamin
"Bibi" Netanyahu, 15 seats for the far-right, ultra-nationalist
Yisrael Beiteinu — literally, "Israel, Our Home" — headed by
Avigdor Lieberman, and 11 seats for the formerly strong Labor
Party, headed by current Defense Minister Ehud Barak. With such a
close showing for Kadima and Likud, the determining factor for
Shimon Peres, Israel's current president, in tapping the next prime
minister, is who will be most likely to form a coalition. Lieberman
has become the "kingmaker," because the support that his Yisrael
Beiteinu party can give determines Israel's prime minister. For a
few days, it was undecided who he would back, but not surprisingly,
he pledged to join Likud in forming a coalition leading President
Peres to tap Netanyahu as prime minister. The process of forming a
coalition is ongoing, and Netanyahu is also in talks with Livni
about the possibility of a including Kadima in the government.

Whatever the final outcome, it is certain that Lieberman and his
party will have more influence in Israeli politics than ever
before. This is what worries me. Lieberman's goal is to increase
the number of Jews in Israel and decrease the number of Arabs. In
early January Lieberman led the drive in Israel's Central Election
Committee to have Arab political parties banned from running in the
most recent election, which passed successfully and was overturned
only by the Israeli Supreme Court. He has called for the expulsion
of Arab members of the Knesset, threatening them that "a new
administration will be established and then we will take care of
you," as reported by Israel's Ha'aretz newspaper in October 2008.
He has called for Arab citizens of Israel to sign an "oath of
loyalty" to the state or be stripped of their citizenship. His
party has also been very clear about what being "loyal" means:
According to his party's Web site, if you are an Arab student and
dare come to school wearing a kaffiyeh, you are "disloyal." His Web
site also says that if you are a Muslim Israeli and collect money
and medicines for Gaza relief, you are "disloyal."

What's worse than all of these discriminatory positions is that
leading members of the American Jewish Community support him! Head
of the Anti-Defamation League, an organization that is quick to
spot instances of discrimination, Abe Foxman, says Lieberman is
right to be concerned about apparent acts of disloyalty by Israeli
Arabs. Foxman promised to speak out if Lieberman advanced any
legislative proposals not in keeping with the spirit of Israeli
democracy, though there was no comment by the ADL at Lieberman's
unconstitutional attempt to remove Arab parties for Israel's
government — a move that was anything but democratic. Another
leader in the American Jewish Community, President of the Zionist
Organization of America Morton Klein, said he found Lieberman's
proposal "legitimate." This is strange, because Acting Co-executive
Director of the American Jewish Congress Marc Stern noted American
Jews historically have been skeptical of or against loyalty oaths
because of their use as part of a nationalist agenda, which often
leads to or is associated with discrimination.

Lieberman's discriminatory policies and Netanyahu's desire to
expand Jewish settlements in the West Bank while not talking with
Palestinians about a long-term peace plan are a dynamite
combination that does not bode well for the future of the peace
process. While I am proud of my government in the United States, I
am utterly disappointed by Israel's new government. I can only hope
that this right-wing government will fail and that a moderate,
peace-building government will come to power in the near future.
Until then, I pray for the safety of all Israelis and Palestinians,
and I look forward to a time when I can be as proud of Israel's
government as I am of mine.